No bargains at the Bernabeu

A full house is guaranteed at the Santiago Bernabéu for next Friday's Spanish Cup final between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, even though the ticket prices agreed by the two clubs and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) are the highest ever. Never before had the most expensive tickets for the Spanish Cup final cost as much as ¤275.

It is true that the cheapest tickets are ¤10 cheaper than other years, but there are three different ticket categories that cost more than last season's most expensive ticket (¤200): ¤220 in the upper and lower stands, ¤245 in the first amphitheatre and ¤275 closer to the pitch.

When comparing these prices with those charged for the cup finals in the other four big European leagues, not one of them comes even close. The closest was the ¤136 charged for the most expensive ticket to see the FA Cup final at Wembley between Manchester City-Wigan.

The tickets for the German Cup final scheduled for 1st June at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin between Bayern and Stuttgart have been set by the German Football Federation (DFB) at prices ranging from ¤35 to ¤125. In Italy, the Olympic Stadium in Rome is set for a full house on 26th May to witness the first ever final between Roma and Lazio. The prices range from ¤30 to ¤120.